Vincent Goffin was trained as a molecular endocrinologist. He graduated at the University of Liège (Belgium) in 1993. After his post-doctoral training at Inserm U344, Paris (Marie-Curie fellowship), he was hired by Inserm as a tenure researcher in 1996. He is currently research director and heads his lab since 2006. Vincent Goffin is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of the prolactin (PRL)/growth hormone (GH) protein family. His main achievements include i) translational research on the role of PRL receptor signaling in various human diseases with particular emphasis in Oncology, and ii) preclinical development of PRL receptor inhibitors based on cutting-edge structure-function studies of receptor activation. He founded the FASEB Science Reaserch Conference “The GH/PRL family in biology & diseases” in 2012 (3rd editionwill be held in 2017) and has been consultant for many companies developing PRL-related projects.

Focus

Use translational approaches to identify, understand and target cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the progression and/or resistance to treatment of breast and prostate cancers, with major focus on prolactin and calcium signaling.

Introduction

Due to the increasing lifespan in western countries, cancer incidence will continue to raise in future. When diagnosed at a localized stage, breast and prostate tumors are successfully treated by surgery and/or radiotherapy, which supports routine prevention policies (e.g. PSA screening). The standard of care of more advanced stages of the diseases involves medical treatment (e.g. anti-androgen therapy, chemotherapy). Although some tumors respond well to therapy, de novo or acquired resistance to treatment is frequently observed leading to cancer progression towards lethal metastatic stages. To improve treatment efficacy, combined therapies need to be developed, which requires i) to identify new molecular drivers of tumor progression, and ii) to identify and understand the biology of the cells that resist to treatment and drive cancer relapse.

The impact of PRL receptor (PRLR) signaling on breast and prostate tumorigenesis is supported by strong experimental, clinical and epidemiological evidence. Our current focus in this field involves the dysregulation of prostate stem/progenitor cells in contexts of PRLR hyper-signaling. These ‘primitive’ cells are considered to be tumor-initiating cells while their androgen-independence suggests they may also participate in cancer relapse (escape to treatment). Besides this core project (Aim #1), we also investigate the mechanisms underlying prostate tumor promotion by calcium signaling (Aim #2) and the role of interferon (IFN) signaling in breast cancer response versus resistance to treatment (Aim #3).

Research objectives

Determine the identity of castration-tolerant prostate cell(s), decipher their regulation downstream of PRLR signaling, and identify new actionable targets to prevent cancer relapse

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Support(s)

HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover, who through the Princess Grace Foundation, already supports medical research and anything that helps to relieve the sick children in France and around the world, has agreed to commit to our side so that our Center of Molecular medicine continues to meet the current challenges and fight diseases, and in particular the ones affecting children.

Legal mentions

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